Home owners are rapidly becoming aware of the benefits of home audio distribution systems. These benefits include convenient access to audio signals throughout the home, more efficient use of space and savings in the form of fewer system components, and the ability to provide customized control over the audio as it is distributed to the audio zones.
In a number of presently implemented home audio distribution systems, the system is configured using a relatively elaborate wiring distribution to connect the system's microphones, speakers and control panels in the various audio zones to a central control circuit which distributes the audio to the zones. In such systems, the present inventors have discovered that user convenience and control over the audio in the zones can be facilitated by providing a remote-control capability for overriding the volume setting control in selected zones, without going to each location to manually adjust the volume setting. For example, a user will typically turn down the volume in a particular zone using the manual volume setting control so that the user is not disturbed by continuously-playing music. The user would find it helpful, however, if the volume was returned to its normal listening level in the event that the music is interrupted by a page, a doorbell, or some other special musical or tonal audio signal.
While this type of volume-setting override function is needed for both existing systems and systems yet to be installed, this override function should be implemented without requiring costly re-routing of control wires in existing systems. Moreover, such an automatic override should be implemented so that no annoying pops are heard at the speaker when an interrupting signal is suddenly presented to the speaker.
Accordingly, there is a need for an audio distribution system having volume-setting override function to meet the afore-mentioned needs.